Nov. 10--In the past few years, it's become widely accepted in the medical community that many people who abuse alcohol, illegal drugs, prescription drugs, cigarettes, and even sugary carbs are attempting to "self-medicate." That is, they often have a brain chemistry imbalance that they are trying to "fix" with psychotropic substances that help them manage depression, stress, low energy, and other symptoms.

Now, in a new book by nutritional medicine pioneer CE Gant, MD, cowritten by Greg Lewis, we learn more about why people become addicted and, more important, how to rebalance our brain chemistry naturally -- so the cravings virtually disappear.

In End Your Addiction Now: The Proven Nutritional Supplement Program That Can Set You Free (Square One Publishers, 2010, $16.95), Dr. Gant presents an easy, step-by-step addiction recovery program with a remarkable success rate. At rehabilitation facilities across the country where his protocol has been adopted, Dr. Gant's Power Recovery Program has received a stunning 83 percent success rate in ending patients' addictions after one year -- more than three times the national average.

Dr. Gant explains that when sufficient amounts of nutrients are available to our brains, they can produce chemical neurotransmitters in adequate amounts that help us stay on top of things, remain relaxed and happy, and to get pleasure out of everyday life experiences. However, when our brains don't have enough of the nutrients they need to produce neurotransmitters in sufficient quantities, we can become irritable, unable to focus, angry, even depressed. If neurotransmitter shortages continue for longer periods of time, we begin looking for ways to deal with them. More precisely, we may seek comfort in tobacco, alcohol, drugs, and sugar. The problem is, continued use of these substances disrupts your brain's normal production of neurotransmitters, and you begin to rely more and more on the substances and less and less on your brain's natural ability to keep you feeling normal. Presto! A habit is born.

The good news is that once neurotransmitters are replenished and rebalanced through targeted supplementation and changes in diet and lifestyle, substance abusers almost immediately experience low or no cravings, reduced withdrawal symptoms, and dramatically improved health and emotional well-being.

The first part of the Power Recovery Program gets you started with self-assessment questionnaires that diagnose your neurotransmitter deficiency, so you can customize a supplementation regimen that will correct your specific shortage(s). Within 24 to 72 hours of starting the supplementation, you cravings will be reduced or completely eliminated. The second part of the program rids your body of many common types of toxins, not just those resulting from drug use, that help you stay "clean" and feel great.

The safe, effective, and natural Power Recovery Program enables readers to tailor nutritional intervention strategies to fit their own unique body chemistry and addiction. The book includes some two dozen case studies of patients who've overcome addictions to tobacco, alcohol, opiates, pain meds, antidepressants, and other substances -- including sugar. Dr. Gant's program has an impressive track record with patients who found real help losing weight by dealing with their carb addiction, as well as people with psychological disorders, such as depression and ADHD, who were able to stop using prescription meds such as Prozac, Zoloft, Adderall, and Ritalin.

If you're following a traditional recovery strategy, you've got about a 1 in 4 chance of success. If you combine that strategy with the Power Recovery Program, the evidence suggests you'll increase your chances of recovery to 5 out of 6. Even if you're not currently following a recovery plan, Dr. Gant's clinical experience with thousands of patients suggests that you'll dramatically improve your chances for a complete recovery. No matter how many times you've tried to quit before, End Your Addiction Now will help you beat the odds.

CE Gant, MD, is a nationally renowned pioneer in the fields of nutrition-based medicine and substance abuse. At Tully Hill Hospital, where he served as medical director, he achieved a remarkable 83 percent success rate in ending patients' addictions. Dr. Gant has a private practice in Washington, DC, and is author of End Your Addiction Now (Square One Publishers, 2010). You'll find the author online at www.CEGant.com.

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